Hot Chocolate and Presents
by darth soft kitty of doom
Summary: The two mugs of hot chocolate had tiny white marshmallows floating ontop, Harry noted — almost feeling a bit dizzy. /Harry/Hermione - While decorating, Harry realizes that she was the best gift he had ever gotten.


_**Written for the Secret Santa exchange at The Golden Snitch! I'm sorry this AN wasn't added in the beginning, but I had no idea when the 'exchange' would happened so... it was delayed. :')**_

 _ **This is written for... thedesertredwolf - also known as dessie - my dear buddy :3**_

 _ **Beta version is coming! Sorry for the typos!**_

 _ **12/30/17 thank you rockyroad69 for the beta! :')**_

* * *

It's _Christmas._

Harry Potter took a few moments contemplating the word. After many years of watching the colourful lights surrounding the fir tree in his aunt's living room and smelling the tantalizing hot chocolate that Dudley would grasp in his pudgy hands whilst smirking gleefully at his cousin's lost expression...

Even after experiencing all of that, it was strange to see a tall tree towering over him with bright lights twinkling at him. The top of the tree was slightly bent at the top from the lack of space as it was taller than the ceiling itself. The smell of hot chocolate came from the two mugs sitting by the fireplace. The floor scattered with half-opened boxes and ornaments. Yet, he had seen all of this before.

Then, it struck him. Those were all his.

The two mugs of hot chocolate had tiny white marshmallows floating on them, Harry noted — almost feeling a bit dizzy.

He liked marshmallows. He utterly loved them.

And since he knew that it was just the two of them in the house... one of those steaming mugs was probably meant for him. He had to be careful to avoid the incomplete tree. The last time he messed with something his wife was working on, he'd nearly lost his nose. She never did make empty threats. Very slowly, he snaked past the tree, fell onto the couch and grabbed the mug to take a short sip.

It was delicous.

Much better than anything Aunt Petunia would've made.

"Oh! Harry! I didn't hear you get out of bed." His wife bustled into the room, her bushy hair messier than usual and her eyebags more apparent than ever.

She seemed almost entirely focused on untangling the lights in her hands though she snuck a few glances towards him every few seconds. Whether to say greet him or to check that he wasn't drinking her hot chocolate, he wasn't sure.

Harry laughed softly. "Are you okay? I had no idea that you were going to be doing — " He paused, his hands stretched out and waving in a comical fashion while he tried to think of a way to explain the absolute holiday mess scattered around their house. "— ... uh, decorating?"

Hermione gave him a stern look. "It's Christmas." She said, as if that explained everything.

Of course it was.

He ran a nervous hand through his messy hair. "I mean, I knew you would be decorating for Christmas." Merlin, he wasn't an idiot. "It's just... you didn't tell me."

Hermione's eyes softened, though she still held an incredulous expression. Harry felt his shoulders slump, as he felt a strange sadness take over him. It was almost disturbing to be left out of loop for something as simple as Christmas decorating.

"I did... mentioned it last week." She sighed.

"You did what?"

"Back when we were shopping for gifts for Ronald. Right in front of the broom shop, I said. 'Harry, I'll be decorating the house next week. Want to help?"

Harry gaped at her. "What did I say?"

She shrugged. "You grunted and went back to drooling over that new broomstick that came out last month."

 _Oh, right._ He remembered that broomstick. _That beautiful Ultra V 5000 -_ Harry shook his head abruptly. _No. Stop it_. He vaguely remembered Hermione had muttered something along the lines of decorations, or tree shopping.

Harry exhaled. It was his mistake, after all.

"Sorry, Hermione." Harry apologized. "I must've forgotten..."

"No worries." With a small huff, she dropped the tangled lights to the floor and picked up one of the larger boxes. "Since you're up though... "

He blinked.

Hermione pushed it closer to the couch. "These are some of the ornaments for the tree. Since you're up and bright-eyed, you can help put together some of the Christmas magic. Though..." She pursed her lips and tapped her wand against her leg. 'I might need your help with the outside."

"Uh." Harry made awkward hand gestures over the box. "How do I…?"

Hermione knelt in front of him and told him in a soft voice. "You open the box first, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Right. Very funny, dear." He wrestled off the top of the box, revealing the sparkling ornaments below. "Do.. they go in any order or...?"

"Honestly Harry, it's your tree too. Put them in whatever order you want."

Hermione cast a distracted glance towards one of the smaller boxes. "Hagrid sent us some fireplace decorations as well. I haven't checked the box. You can do that too while I decorate the stairwell."

Hermione sped out the door before Harry could protest. Which he did, albeit rather weakly. "What has to be done with stairway again?"

No answer.

He sighed and went to grab the smaller box Hermione had pointed to. It was crudely bound with a red ribbon and Harry couldn't suppress a small smile when he saw Hagrid's Christmas charm within the wrapping. He unwrapped it and lifted the lid.

Nestled in a row of tissue paper laid a fluffy round... ball?

He'd reach forward to grab the object from its packaging, but the small furry ball started to grin.

He froze as the its grin stretched wider and wider, unveiling the sharpest teeth Harry had ever seen. It would be a wonderful fireplace decoration if it didn't look like it was going to eat him – or everything in the house for that matter.

Harry closed the box abruptly, placing it to the side as carefully as he could. It was good to see that Hagrid never changed.

He would have to ask Hermione what she wanted to do with that, though.

While he used his wand to float some ornaments to the top of the tree — with careful precision and a bit of panache, he noted— Harry could hear Hermione rustle around in the kitchen.

"Harry! Will you help me with outside?" She called out.

"I thought you were doing the stairway?"

"Oh right!"

Hermione hurried back in their living room with another long strand of stringed lights and Harry had to choke back a surprised cough. Just how many lights did they own?

Another thought occurred to him.

Where did the tree come from?

Harry stared perplexed at their very tall tree he had just spent the last hour in the same room with, looking back at the doorway behind him… which was not quite as tall.

It made him even more confused.

He lifted his — now cold — mug to his lips and sipped. A mystery for the ages.

"Oh." Hermione sounded distracted as one of her arms got trapped in the many strands of lights. "Oh you are _bloody_ kidding me."

Harry choked on his hot chocolate, earning a dirty look from his dishevelled wife. "Really?"

"I said nothing."

"You didn't have to say anything. You could help me get out of this mess."

Harry obliged and started to make his way over to his wife. "What did you do?" He asked while tugging the lights in different directions.

"I'm not sure. It just happened."

"Alright, well..."

Harry wasn't experienced in Christmas anything. To be asked to untangle Hermione from the jumbled mess wasn't really something he was used to. "Why are we putting up Muggle decorations anyway?"

"My parents. I wanted them to be somewhat comfortable when they come." Hermione told. "I researched the right tree to buy. I was tempted to buy a fake tree, you know. Do you know how much trouble a real tree can be to deal with? But, of course, you don't get that fresh smell of Christmas in the air."

Her excitement took over her, and she started to ramble. "This is our first Christmas together in our home. I thought we should get the full experience. Plus, I know your family never had a real tree. From what you've told me of your au — "

 _Our home._

Harry couldn't deny the feeling of warmth in his heart from hearing those words. Or maybe it was the feeling of holiday cheer and comfort that seemed to have been dancing in the air ever since he had woken up. He didn't know.

He paused his poking and prodding of the entanglement of Hermione to glance at her, noting that it didn't help all that much.

Then she paused her rapid-fire insults towards his relatives to look at him. Her eyes met his and her lips curved into a small smile. "What? Those lights aren't going to untangle themselves, you know?"

"Thank you." He told her sincerely.

"Whatever for?"

"Bringing cheer to my life." Harry answered before leaning down to kiss her.

She was the greatest gift that he had ever received.

A young girl who stayed with him through trouble and danger. The most intelligent witch he knew. The young woman who made him hot cocoa with tiny white marshmallows. The person whom he loved with all his heart.

Hermione Jean Granger.


End file.
